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Political dynasty? Who's to blame

The issue of political dynasty is as old as civilization itself. In the Philippines , every time election draws near, there's no denying that the issue rears its ugly head. It is played like a broken record that some people dismissed it as part of the game. The coming political exercise is no exemption. Let us focused our attention to some emerging dynasties in the province. For God's sake we have no quarrel with the propensity of some public officials who are treating local governments as if they are their own private kingdom. If these people have the so-called delicadeza which at these times is fast becoming a rare commodity , then they should call it quits if the time has come, that they are no longer allowed by law to go on serving the people. For sure, serving the people is not the exclusive domain of one political family. But alas and alack! there seems to be a prevailing belief that occupying public office is synonymous to having acquired a Torrens titles over the elective position. This helps explain the fact that in Bohol , some public office has become a rigodon of family members. To this BGlante there really is nothing wrong if family members are rotating the elective positions up for grabs among close family members.

There must be dearth of qualified leaders to contest the positions held by a close knit clan. Citing as example, we learned that in Alburquerque that for lack of comptent substitute, the incumbent mayor is fielding his own son, Spraim, totake his place. And do you think that he will fade in the shadows just because his time has come to call it quits. The mayor is barred from running because he shall completed his three-term limit by May. But no!, old political soldiers like Mayor Tungol never fade fade. They just run again for vice mayor in tandem with his own son. Guindulman is another typical example. When the term of Mayor Oriculo Granada also expires in May, guess who is he grooming to take his place? You guess it right, it's his son, Reynante, who will run for mayor while the father becomes the running mate.

Another example is Buenavista. The wife and husband combination of Elsa Tirol as mayor and Leandro, her husband as vice mayor is the order of the day in Buenavista and there is no sign that any pretender is eyeing either of the two positions held by the couple. Therefore, the same configuration is at stake as the Buenavista electorate troop to the polls this May. Last but not the least is Sagbayan. Conceded to be the turf of the Torrefrancas since time immemorial, the town which is home to the famous Sagbayan Peak remains to be in the hands of the Torrefrancas for the next three years. Running for reelection is Jimmy Torrefranca while running mate is her own daughter, Valerie Anne Torrefranca. You ask this Bglante, why this is so? Is there a more appropriate description than all in the family?